This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 1:04 am and is filed under cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Car Profiles
Just another Car Blog
Electric Dirt Bike - An Introduction
Many people are thinking about alternative energy. They think about ways to stop using gasoline which tends to pollute. That’s the purpose of the electric dirt bike.
One company that produces these is Zero Motorcycles. Zero electric dirt bike is quiet, and performs well. Zero Motorcycles makes such a bike. The electric dirt bike they make is quiet and runs very well. They couldn’t handle all the orders in 2008. There were only 45 of these made by this time. Their goal is to produce 2000 in 2009. They intend to roll out a street version as well.
People often use an electric dirt bike to ride off road near the house. This could include wilderness trails in suburban developments. Neighbors would complain if people tooled around on loud gas bikes. But the electric version hums along quietly. That’s a reason people like them.
One issue with an electric dirt bike is the price. They’re generally more expensive than comparable gasoline powered dirt bikes. They also have limited range. This is about 40 miles per charge. That turns out to be about two hours of use on the trail. One problem with this is people like to ride for an entire day. They won’t find a socket out in the wild.
Serious dirt bikers see the electric dirt bike as a passing fad. They don’t think it will last. Some commentators call it a decent bike as a back up, but not an only bike. Others think they’re fun.
The founder of zero said he became interested in building an electric dirt bike in about 2002. He was formerly an aerospace engineer, but later became a motorcycle designer. He disagreed with people who think electric cycles are slow and boring. He dislikes off-the-shelf parts so many of the parts on his bikes are custom designed.
The important issue with an electric dirt bike is its battery. Lithium ion batteries get very hot. Zero needed an insulator around the batteries. The pack that they came up with costs nearly $4,000 to replace. It lasts for six years. The battery takes about two hours to fully recharge. That’s fast. The bike can go 0 to 30 in under 2 seconds. Zero says that experienced riders are blown away by the performance.
Speaking of costs, the zero is about $7,000, this electric dirt bike also costs $300 to ship. They’re only sold online. The overall goal for the company is to become big.
Expect to see an electric dirt bike very soon somewhere in your town.
Leave a Reply